Types Of Experiments

Question 1

Define lab experiment

Answer 1

An experiment carried out in a controlled setting except one key variable which is altered to see what the effect is

Question 2

Strengths of lab experiments

Answer 2

• high internal validity - good control over all possible variables
• strict controls mean you can run the study again to check the findings ( replication )
• it’s possible to establish whether one variable actually causes change in another ( casual relationships )

Question 3

Limitations of lab experiments

Answer 3

• low ecological validity thus too artificial
• demand characteristics, participants may respond according to what they think is being investigated which can bias the results
• ethics, deception is often used making informed consent difficult

Question 4

Define field experiments

Answer 4

A controlled experiment conducted outside a laboratory where behaviour is measured in a natural environment

Question 5

Strengths of field experiments

Answer 5

• high ecological validity
• high external validity
• demand characteristics, these can be avoided if participants don’t know they’re in a study
• you can establish casual relationships by manipulating the key variable and measuring its effect

Question 6

Limitations of field experiments

Answer 6

• low internal validity ( harder to control extraneous & confounding variables )
• ethics , participants who didn’t agree to take part might experience distress and often can’t be debriefed
  Observation must respect privacy

Question 7

Define natural experiment

Answer 7

A research method In Which the experiment has not manipulated the IV affects the DV

( IV is not manipulated because it’s an event which occurs naturally )

Question 8

Strengths of natural experiments

Answer 8

• ethics , possible to study variables that it would be unethical to manipulate
• high in ecological validity
• demand characteristics - participants may not know they’re in a study so their behaviour is likely to be more natural

Question 9

Limitations of natural experiments

Answer 9

• many extraneous variables which are a threat to cause and effect conclusions
• participants are not randomly allocated to conditions which may mean that there is some bias
• hard to establish casual relationships - as you don’t manipulate the IV and as other variables could be having a effect
• ethics - deception is often used , making informed consent difficult also confidentiality may be compromised if the community is identifiable

Question 10

Define quasi experiment

Answer 10

• The researcher isn’t able to use random allocation to put participants in different conditions
• due to the independent variable is a particular feature of the participants such as gender

Question 11

Strengths of quasi experiment

Answer 11

Control - quasi experiments are often carried out under controlled conditions

Ecological validity - research is often less artificial than lab studies so you’re more likely to be able to generalise the results to real life

Question 12

Limitations of quasi experiments

Answer 12

Participant allocation - can’t randomly allocate participants to each condition and so confounding variables may affect results

Casual relationships - can be hard to establish cause and effect because the IV isn’t being directly manipulated